Pie's the Word
by Eva Sirico
Summary: Two Americans move to London searching for a new adventure. When one of them, Avery, manages to pique Jim Moriarty's interest, things start to go downhill. Noel, on the other hand, gets off on the wrong foot with a certain consulting detective as they move into 221-C. Maybe moving to London wasn't such a good idea... Sherlock x OC, Moriary x OC. Co-written with criminalsandtea
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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**Chapter 1**

**AVERY**

"Right-ho, there," I said cheerfully, hoisting my carry-on bag more securely over my shoulder. "London, here we are!"

"Just because we're in London doesn't mean you have to act like a British person," Noel reminded me. She flipped her long dark brown hair over her shoulder. "I want my hair up, but I left my hair ties in my luggage!"

I grinned at my best friend. "Sorry, but I don't need hair ties. Perks of having short purple hair."

Noel scowled at me and didn't reply. Knowing that my friend really wasn't angry, I dragged her over to a window. "Look! This is what we've been saving up for a couple years now." I take in the sights of the buildings and Big Ben in the distance. Beside me, a giddy smile spreads across Noel's face and a small, dreamy sigh escapes her.

"Oh, my god," Noel muttered, turning away from the window. "I have to pee so much."

"Then go, silly," I said, laughing a bit. Noel gave me a half smile and started walking away. I think she said something to me, but I didn't hear. After a couple minutes of watching the London streets, I turned around to start looking for her.

A head of long, dark brown hair caught my attention, and I turned to see someone with a purple t-shirt, as purple as my hair currently was, walking out of the airport with luggage. "Noel?" I asked myself, confused. Why didn't she meet me back there?

I quickly hurried to catch up with the girl, who I presumed to be Noel, and walked out of the airport. She must be going to the flat, I thought to myself when I didn't see her on the street. Noel probably took a cab.

I searched around in my pocket, but I didn't have enough money for a cab. "Looks like I'll have to walk," I said to myself, turning on my heel to look around. "Now, where is this Baker Street?"

"Excuse me," a man said, his eyes startled. He had short cropped blonde hair and a white t-shirt. "Did you just say you were going to Baker Street?"

I nodded. "Yep! I just rented a flat. 221-C Baker Street. Why? Could you give me directions there?"

The man stared at me for a moment before shaking his head. "Yeah, I can give you a lift, actually. It looks like it's going to rain." He held out a hand. "The name's Sebastian. Sebastian Moran. You can just call me Seb."

I took the hand and shook it, giving him a large smile. "I'm Avery Sirois. Nice to meet you. I just came here from Maine in the U.S. with my best friend Noel Blackmore." A voice in the back of my mind berated me for giving out so much information and trusting a stranger, but I was way too trusting of people. Noel usually kept me from harm, but she wasn't here now.

"Good to meet you too," Seb replied. "Come on, Avery. Let's go." Sure enough, thunder rumbled through the sky. Glancing at the ominous black clouds hovering in the skies, I walked over to the sleek black car and climbed in the passenger seat.

Seb started to car and drove off into the London streets. "So what do you have for a job?" Seb asked, making small conversation.

"I'm a writer," I admitted. "I write e-books and publish them on Amazon. Back in America, I worked during the day at a daycare, though I found a job in a high school here, not too far from my flat. What about you?"

Seb shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "I'm a personal assistant. So tell me, do you know much about the people in the flat above you?"

I shook my head. "I think their names are Sherlock and...James? John? Mrs. Hudson, the landlady, only mentioned them once over the phone." I looked at him curiously. "Why? Do you know them?"

He shrugged. "I've heard of them," he admitted. The dog-tags around his neck jingled a little bit as he made a sharp turn onto a side street. The houses around here were huge and nicely kept.

I stared as we passed row after row of nicely-kept lawns and pristine houses. "Are you sure we're in the right place?" I asked timidly. Warning bells started to go off in my mind. Maybe stepping into the car with a complete stranger wasn't a very good idea...

Seb didn't answer as he pulled up to a huge house at the end of the row. It was a dark color but clearly screamed 'big money' like the rest of the houses around it. I looked at him. "Where are we?" I demanded.

There was a click as he produced a gun out of nowhere and pointed it at me. "Get out and walk calmly up to the side of the house with me," he said. "Don't cause any trouble, or you'll regret it."

Surprisingly, my head stayed clear as fear coursed through me. Deciding that it would be smart to do what he said, I opened the car door and walked onto the gravel. Seb had stowed the gun away so the neighbors wouldn't see it, but I could tell that he kept his hand on it.

We walked up the driveway to the side of the large house. It still hadn't registered that I was threatened by a guy with a gun, but it was starting to hit me as Seb unlocked the door, grabbing my arm and pushing me inside.

We were in a long hallway that was bare. Seb, still holding onto my arm - gently enough not to bruise but strong enough so I couldn't pull away - guided me down the hall and to the front foyer. We crossed the foyer and to an oaken door on the other side. Seb knocked once.

"Enter," an exasperated voice called out with a hint of an Irish lilt. Seb pushed open the door and shoved me through, walking in and closing the door behind him. I glanced around the room and saw that, like the rest of the house, it was mostly empty except for a desk. A man sat behind the desk, concentrating on his laptop. He had dark hair and he wore an expensive looking suit.

"What could possibly be so important that you would disturb me?" the man asked, pushing his laptop away and rubbing his temples. His voice was quiet yet deadly.

"We have a guest," Sebastian said shortly.

The man looked up for the first time, staring straight at me. His eyes were a piercing black and they froze me in place. If I was scared before, it was nothing to what I felt now. There was something about him that let me know that this was not a regular person.

He pushed himself up away from his desk and walked slowly over to me, his hands in his pockets. "Jim Moriarty," he introduced himself to me. "Hi!" he added, his voice suddenly going high-pitched. I jumped.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, my voice sounding braver than I felt.

Moriarty turned to Seb. "Yes, why did you bring her here?" he said, his voice suddenly dangerous again.

"She's moving into 221-C Baker Street," Seb explained. I scowled at him. Note to self: Never accept rides from strangers again (ignoring the fact that I should have learned that when I was five years old).

Moriarty's eyes flashed to me, and a thoughtful look crossed his face before a dark smile replaced it. He began pacing around me. "What's your name, dear?"

"It's Avery, and don't call me dear." I stiffened as he came closer to me.

Moriarty came to stop directly behind me. "I'll call you dear if I want to," he whispered, and I turned around to face him, taking a step back.

That dark smile of his widened. "Well, Avery Sirois," he stressed my last name, "you and your flatmate have made an interesting choice to live at 221-C Baker Street."

"It was affordable in a decent location," I replied, glancing around for an exit. The only one was behind Seb but there was the slight problem of getting past Sebastian...

"Sure, sure," Moriarty agreed easily. I noticed then that although his mouth was smiling, his eyes were just dark... "And how much do you know about the two men living above your flat?" he continued.

"Just their names," I said truthfully. "Sherlock and...Jack? I think..."

Anger flashed through his face. "John."

Suspicion crossed through my mind. "How do you know?" I asked. "Why, are you stalking them?" Looking back on that comment now, I rather wish that I had left the attitude out of my voice. Unbeknownst to me, it had slipped in without my permission.

Moriarty stiffened and his eyes somehow grew colder than before. What startled me, however, was the eerie laugh that passed through his lips. "You amuse me. You have NO IDEA WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO," he paused for a moment and continued in a quieter tone, "Yet you still talk back."

When he started shouting, fear had spiked through me. I decided right then and there that Jim Moriarty was a madman, and I was in serious trouble.

Deciding that my best action was to remain silent, I didn't say anything. Moriarty studied me for a moment before turning away. "Take her to one of the empty rooms," he said in a bored tone of voice.

"Wait!" I protested. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever I did, but can you please just let me go?"

"Not a chance," Moriarty sang, seating himself down in his chair and putting his feet up on the desk.

"Why not?" I demanded, backing out of reach of Sebastian.

"Because I SAID SO," he yelled, his eyes glaring at me. "Get her out of my sight," he added to Seb, opening up his laptop again. "She's boring me."

I glared at him as his concentration shifted away from me. Seb grabbed my arm and tugged me out of the room, closing the door behind us. He guided me through the hallways and up the stairs to a hallway of rooms. Unlocking one with one hand, he shoved me into it before locking the door behind me.

The room was small, and the only thing that was in it was a bed and a closet. There was a window, and I eagerly ran to it. Disappointment coursed through me when I saw that we were on the third floor. Looks like I was stuck here.

Unless...

I wrenched the window open and managed to get it up halfway. There was still enough room for me to slip out. I ran to the bed and tore the blanket off of it, grabbing the sheets. I tore them down the middle and lashed them together. I did this to the other sheet, before tying both of them together.

"Now I just need something to tie this to," I muttered, looking around. Deciding that the bedpost would do the trick, I used my best knot that I learned from my summer camp that I went to as a kid. Tying it securely, I took the improvised rope and tossed it out the window. It dangled down to the first floor, but there was a gap between the ground and the sheets. How high it was, I didn't know.

Bracing myself, I squeezed out of the window and started walking slowly down the side of the house, holding onto the rope for dear life. "What a cliché escape," I muttered, grinning. "But, hey! It works."

I jumped the rest of the way, jarring my ankles once I hit the ground. Immediately, I started running, away from the house, away from Seb, and away from Moriarty. I ran until I hit a main road before ducking into a coffee shop.

"What d'you want, love?" the owner asked me.

"Erm...just a coffee?" I asked uncertainly. He nodded and quickly gave one to me. I dug in my carry-on bag, which they miraculously didn't take, for some money before handing it over. Grabbing my cup of coffee, I took it to a back corner table to mull over what happened to me for the past couple days.

First, we had come to London, a place that I had wanted to go since I was a little kid. It was like a dream come true. Second, I had been kidnapped by a psychopath called Moriarty because of where I bought the flat. Although it might also have something to do with the people living above the flat...

It was getting dark out, and I couldn't stay in the small coffee shop forever. Sighing, I picked up my finished drink and threw it away. Walking back over to the owner, I asked, "Where's an affordable motel in the area? I just a place to sleep for one night."

After giving me directions, I thanked him and walked out of the shop, heading down the street and towards the motel. Thankfully, the direction was away from where I had escaped from. Purchasing a room for the night, I unlocked the door and walked inside, throwing the bag down on the chair and falling into the bed.

It didn't take long at all for me to fall into a dreamless sleep.

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A/N

Elloooo and welcome to our story! The Avery chapters will be written by Eva, and the Noel chapters will be written by criminalsandtea! We'll try to upload once a day :)

Please review! :)

~Eva and criminalsandtea~


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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**CHAPTER 2**

**NOEL**

I walk out of the bathroom going back to the window where I left Avery. Why does she always run off? Shaking my head I turn towards the luggage pick up and dial Avery's number. After the third dial tone it went to voicemail. Sighing I shove my phone back into my backpack and cross my arms. She must be already at the flat unpacking. I go outside and hail a cab, the warm breeze tickling the back of my neck. A black car pulled up. I run over jumping into the back seat.

The cabbie's accent was thick and a bit chipper. I looked up in the mirror at him. He had thinning grey hair and sad eyes, hidden under thick framed glasses.

"Where to, love?" He said in his heavy accent. He smiled at me, as if hiding a secret.

"Um, 221-C Baker Street," I reply. His body straightens. His smirk wiped from his face. His dark eyes harden. I shiver.

"221-C Baker Street?" He says coldly. I nod my head. He pulls out a pink phone and sends a text. "Alright love, It will only take a moment," He says looking at the road. A good ten minutes later I was sitting outside of a row of buildings. A smile crept up on my face.

"What do I owe you?" I ask quietly. He waves me off.

"Nothing, love. You have a nice night," He glances over at his phone and looks at the house.

"Thanks," I say smiling. I grab my bag and open the door. I reach into my bag and fumble for my phone while walking to the door. Before I can realize what is happening I run into something. I look up at a tall man.

"Watch where you are going," He snarls at me, then walks briskly towards the cab. I shake my head. Some people really don't have any social skills. Grumbling to myself I knock on the door to my flat hoping Avery is inside unpacked. I can't wait to tell her about the idiot I just walked into.

When the door finally opens I am greeted by a small, cheerful woman with red hair. She had a wide smile and with open arms rushed me into the house. I wasn't sure why, but I had the urge to tell her to leave me alone.

"Hello, you must be one of the new renters for 221-C. I have been waiting for you. I'm Mrs. Hudson, your landlady," She shakes my hand vigorously and scurries to the other room. She quickly comes back with a key. "Here you go." I take it from her, nodding curtly.

"You're a quiet one aren't you," She laughs. "Well I bet you want to get settled in, don't you?" She walks to the stairs and goes down them.

"Well here we are," she opens the door with her key and pushes it open," since its getting late I will let you settle in. Just shout if there is an emergency, but remember, love, I'm not your housekeeper," She says closing the door behind her.

I look around the room, noticing Avery obviously hasn't been here yet. Nervously I call her again. Voicemail. I hear a man yelling for Mrs. Hudson. Then a crash and a door slams. I throw my backpack on the floor and go and explore. Our kitchen is small, not that it should matter anyway, Our bedrooms are across the hall from each other and a bathroom is near the living room. I compare bedrooms deciding which I rather have. I chose the one with only one window. The less light the better.

I walk back to the hallway where I threw my bag and luggage and drag it to my room. I only packed what I absolutely needed. Clothes, money, a few sentimental things, my pillow. The furniture would be delivered in a few days. Lucky for me there was a bed. I took everything out of my suitcase and tried to organize it. I knew that the cleanliness would be temporary. I was a slob, nothing about that would ever change.

I set my phone down next to my bed just in case Avery decided to call. I wasn't sure whether or not to be worried. Avery had always been that fun loving person. I could always depend on her to cheer me up and make me have fun. I look at the phone. I jump on my bed. She's probably out enjoying herself, making new friends.

I started to doze off when I heard a door slam loudly. I heard two men laughing loudly. I recognized the man I had heard yelling Ms. Hudson's name earlier.

"Ms. Hudson make us some tea!" I have yet again, solved a case," the voice was not the voice of the earlier man, but I recognized it. My eyes shot open. It was that jerk from the taxi incident. I started to get angry again. I jumped up and ran to my door. The men still chattering away.

I yanked open my door, and ran up the stairs. The men and Ms. Hudson stop talking when I had reached the top. Bewildered I looked around. My mouth agape. Realizing this was a horrible idea I straighten my shirt and fix my messy hair.

"Mrs. Hudson, I um need to, um, well you see," I trail off glancing at the two men. I see a shorter man with blonde hair looking at me. Then I look over to the next man. He is tall and thin, too thin. His head covered with a dark mess of curls. I instantly hate him. He gives me a quizzical look then turns to leave the room.

"Well Mrs. Hudson, who might this be," The blonde man smiles kindly to me. I glare at

him, feeling like I have been backed into a corner.

"This is um, dear, I never got your name," she laughs. "I could have been letting a sociopath into my flat," Mrs. Hudson chuckles.

"Im Noel," I stare and the man and Mrs. Hudson. Not sure what to do I cross my arms and bite my lip.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm John. John Watson," He extends his hand for my to shake it. I allow him to shake my hand and quickly go back to crossing both arms.

"You're American." The tall man strides back into the room. I glare daggers at him.

I don't understand why he makes me so angry. He stops next to John and looks at me. "Lucky us John, we have an American living under our roof. This will be...interesting," he sneers at me.

"Well technically it will be two Americans," I say simple. Mrs. Hudson clears her throat.

"Sherlock, this is Noel. She will be staying in 221-C. Can you please try to be nice," Mrs. Hudson says sternly.

"Im Sherlock Holmes," He states. We all hover in a awkward silence for a good minute. I yawn and shift my feet.

"Well this was so nice meeting everyone, but its getting late and I'm going to be busy tomorrow. Good night. Oh, and congratulations on the case," I say turning to walk down the stairs.

"Was she being sarcastic," I hear Sherlock mutter to someone. John chuckles. I reach the bottom of the stairs and quickly open my door. I must have been temporarily insane for barging into their conversation earlier. Leaning up against the door I let out a sigh. I sulk to my room and flop onto the bed. Why can't I be a normal person, who is kind to their neighbors? I check my phone again. Nothing. Sighing I push my face into my pillow and try to cancel out all of my thoughts.

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A/N

Ello! Welcome back to the second chapter! Next one should be out soon ^.^

Thank you so much to PhanPic-Addict-Holmes for reviewing :) Please review, everyone!

~criminalsandtea and Eva Sirico~


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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**Chapter 3**

**Avery**

Sleep...sleep...Mmmm... I burrowed down under the covers. Why are the blankets so scratchy? I blinked my eyes awake, and a poorly maintained room greeted me. Oh...Right...

I yawned and sat up. "I need to find a payphone," I said aloud. My phone had been dead before we had boarded the plane in America, and I had decided to charge it when we got to the flat. Guess I took a little side trip. I sighed.

Packing up and freshening up a bit, I closed the door to the motel room and walked down to the office. After turning over my key, I got some spare change out of my pocket and walked over to the payphone.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered under my breath.

_Riiing. Riiing. Rii-_

"Avery?!" Noel shouted.

"Hey, Noel," I said softly on the other line, glancing around the office as if Sebastian or Moriarty were going to pop up.

"I was so worried!" Noel scolded. "What were you thinking?! Running off without me." It sounded like she was holding back tears. "Plus our neighbors are total idiots."

I let out a small laugh. "Yeah, sorry about that. Erm, unplanned side trip. I'll tell you about it later. And yeah, I've already heard enough about our neighbors to last a lifetime. I just wanted to call to tell you I'm okay and that I'm heading over to Baker Street now."

Noel sounded confused. "Um okay. I'll get dressed. Bye!"

"See ya." I hung up and put the phone back. Walking out of the motel, I hail a cab and quickly directed them on where to go. Closing my eyes, I leaned back in the seat and tried my best not to think of the events of the previous day. Moriarty's face kept sliding in and out of my vision, and I shivered.

"We're here," the cabbie said shortly. I paid him with the last of my money that I carried in my bag and walked out of the cab. Opening to the door to 221, I walked into the hallway, slamming the door behind me.

"Avery?" a familiar voice called out, and I saw a dark head of hair peeking out of the door as I walked down the stairs. "Avery!" Noel squealed, running out and grabbing me in a large hug before pulling me into the flat. "Where have you been?!" she demanded. "I was worried sick!"

I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. "Yeah. I was kind of...kidnapped?"

Noel's mouth drops open. "What?"

I sighed. "I thought I saw you leaving the airport and I thought you went on ahead to the flat, so this guy offered to give me a lift, claiming he knew where Baker Street was."

Noel smacked me. "Avery! You didn't accept it, did you?"

I sheepishly hung my head. "Well...It's kind of a funny story, actually..."

Noel put her head in her hands. "Seriously, Avery?! Seriously?!"

"I've learned my lesson," I earnestly told her. "I will not get into cars with strange men that have guns-"

"HE HAD A GUN?!" Noel yelled.

"Oops," I muttered. "Better not mention the psychopath evil guy then..."

"I swear, if you do not tell me everything this instant then I will drop kick you into tomorrow," Noel glared at me.

I swallowed, and started from the beginning, telling her everything and swearing her to secrecy. After I finished, Noel bluntly told me that I was a happy-go-lucky idiot who didn't know 'stranger danger' and stomped off to her room.

I discovered my room and to my delight, there was already a bed. Noel had put my two suitcases on my bed, so I plugged in my phone and began to unpack.

My phone pinged as I received a message. Walking over to it, I frowned seeing that it was from a private number, but opened it anyway.

_Nice trick you pulled with the sheets. I take back what I said before about you boring me. My interest has been piqued. I will see you soon. -JM xx_

My hand shook, and I nearly dropped the phone. Somehow, he knew my number...

"Avery, come out! We have guests!" Noel called from the other room. I took one last glance at my phone before walking out of the room.

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A/N

Welcome back to our story! So sorry that it took so long. The next chapter should be up tomorrow, or even later today!

Thank you to our lovely reviewers! :)

~Eva Sirico and criminalsandtea~


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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Chapter 4

NOEL

I wake up to my phone. Avery. I scramble to reach my phone and quickly answer it.

"Avery?!" I shout.

"Hey Noel," I hear Avery breath on the other line. At this moment I want to cry out happily and punch her in the face.

"I was so worried! What were you thinking?! Running off without me," I choke back a sob. "Plus our neighbors are total idiots,"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Erm, unplanned side trip. I'll tell you about it later. And yeah, I've already heard enough about our neighbors to last a lifetime. I just wanted to call to tell you I'm okay and that I'm heading over to Baker Street now." She says.

"Um okay. I'll get dressed. Bye!"

"See ya," she says hanging up. I let out a sigh of relief.

I hang up and push myself out of bed. I dig through my pile of clothing and pull out a new shirt and a pair of sweats. Grabbing my toothbrush out of my bag I dance my way to the bathroom. When I am almost there I hear a slight knock on the door. Praying that it's Avery I drop my things and sprint to the door.

"Avery-" I'm cut short when I fling open the door only to see John and an unhappy Sherlock standing in my doorway. "Oh it's you two," I say with a hint of disappointment," John looks at me sadly.

"Hello, Just thought we would properly introduce ourselves," He says with a false sense of joy. I look at him and go back to my pile of clothing.

"Avery. A good friend? Yes definitely a good friend, she must be your flatmate?" Sherlock strides into the room, looking around. "She hasn't arrived, have you contacted her yet?" He says staring at me. I nod picking up my clothes and chucking them into my room quickly.

"We notice you don't have anything really in the house, would you like to accompany us to lunch?" John says as Sherlock glares at him. Sherlock continues to stare at John trying to discourage him from saying more. I stifle a laugh. They were a cute couple.

"No, John and I are not in a relationship," Sherlock sighs, shifting his attention back to me. I stare at him slightly annoyed.

"Well you could have fooled me," I say sarcastically. He scoffs at me.

"It wouldn't take much to fool you," He says matter of factly. I sneer at him, trying not to laugh. I guess I walked into that one. I cross my arms.

"Well I'm waiting for Avery to get here. Hopefully soon," I sigh looking at the open door._ Avery please, please walk through the door._

"Well when she does get here why don't we all get brunch," John says smiling a wide smile. Sherlock scowls and walks out the door.

"I'm not going," he says sounding exasperated. I shrug and check my phone again. If thats how he wanted to act, then fine.

"Well once Avery gets here we can go without Sherlock," John says with a curt smile. "I'll be right up stairs. Just let me know when you are ready to leave," He nods his head and briskly leaves me standing in the empty room. I glance at my phone. Avery where are you? I go into my room and change my clothes. I hear a door slam and while pulling up my pants walk into the hallway.

"Avery?" I ask unsure this time. I peek over to the door. The when I see a head of purple hair bouncing down the stairs I know its my best friend. "Avery!" I squeal running to greet her. I hug her tightly and pull her into the flat.

"Where have you been?!" I demanded. "I was worried sick!"

Avery starts massaging her neck guiltily. "Yeah. I was kind of...kidnapped?"

"What?!" I screech looking at her.

She sighed. "I thought I saw you leaving the airport and I thought you went on ahead to the flat, so this guy offered to give me a lift, claiming he knew where Baker Street was."

I smacked her hard. "Avery! You didn't accept it, did you?"

She hung her head low. "Well...It's kind of a funny story, actually..."

I put my hands on my forehead. "Seriously, Avery?! Seriously?!"

"I've learned my lesson," She promised. "I will not get into cars with strange men that have guns-"

"HE HAD A GUN?!" I yelled.

"Oops," Avery muttered. "Better not mention the psychopath evil guy then..."

"I swear, if you do not tell me everything this instant then I will drop kick you into tomorrow," I glared at her.

I listened patiently as she told her story about the kidnapping. The entire time I wanted to be smacking her across the head.

"You're such a happy go lucky idiot. You should know what stranger danger is by now," I curse at her under my breath and storm into my room. Why did she have to be so childish. I throw my pillow at my only window.

I walk back into the living room massaging my head. All that matters is we are safe. a knock at the door startles me. I open it swiftly. There standing is John, with Sherlock who seems to be very annoyed at something.

"Ready to go?" John says nudging Sherlock. Who grimaces and walks out the door. I yell for Avery. She walks slowly into the room

"Avery, this is John. The other guy is Sherlock. We are going to have brunch with them. Lets go," I pull her along, surprised she isn't already asking about their lives. When we finally catch up with Sherlock he is lounging outside a chinese restaurant.

"About time," He says with a chilled voice. John chuckled and walked into the small restaurant. After we are all in and seated John extends a hand to Avery.

"Hello Im John Watson, and this idiot is Sherlock. Sorry about his manners. We are still working on them," He chuckles waiting for Avery to shake his hand. Avery stares at his hand like its a venomous snake. I nudge her. After a few seconds she snaps out of it and lightly shakes it back.

"Interesting," Sherlock states. He stares at us with a perplexed face. I feel Avery getting squeamish under his gaze. I feel the same way. I start tapping my fingers on the table. The tension at our table continues to get thicker until John clears his throat.

"What's so interesting?" I snap at Sherlock, catching him off guard. He waves me off.

"John, I need a smoke. Order me a coffee," He says to John. I can feel myself getting angry.

"I'll be right back Avery, I need to deal with this now," I push myself out of the chair and stalk after Sherlock.

"Excuse me, but you can't just walk away. Why do you have such a nasty attitude towards my friend and I?" I yell at him, crossing my arms. He looks at me bewildered.

"You're making a scene," He says lighting his cigarette. I sneer at him.

"Don't even fake like you care," I hear him let out a sigh. After a long drag from the cigarette he clears his throat.

"I know what you're all about, you know. You're one of those girls who are always chattering and bugging the crap out of everyone around them. Let me guess you love shopping, and dating, and hanging out with other people who are exactly like you," I can smell the stale stench of cigarettes on his breath and he whispers that in my face.

I try to stop myself from laughing, but can't. Before I know it laughter is seeping out of me. I clutch my sides and try to calm myself down.

"Boy, you obviously don't know very much. I'm almost exactly the opposite of what you just said, and I hate shopping," I giggle at him. He seems in shock. "Earth to Sherlock, you look like you've seen a ghost," I try to make light of what just happened.

"You're an idiot," He growls then storms away. As if right on time it starts to pour. Awesome.

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A/N

Welcome back to the fourth chapter! This chapter was written by the wonderful criminalsandtea ^-^

Thank you to all of our reviewers :) Hope to see you all in Chapter 5!

~Eva Sirico and criminalsandtea~


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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**Chapter 5**

**AVERY**

Humming idly to myself, I dressed in a pair of capris, knee-high purple Jack Skellington socks, a Doctor Who t-shirt, and my usual high-top converse.

I walk out of my bedroom and into the living area. "Morning, Noel," I say cheerfully.

She glances up at me. "Morning, Avery. Off to conquer the world?" She smirks. It was an ongoing inside joke between the two of us ever since I confessed I felt that I could conquer the world with knee-high socks.

"Always." I grabbed a soda from the fridge.

Noel immediately grabbed it from my hands. "It's 8:00 in the morning," she reminded me.

"Sooo?" I stuck my tongue out at her, and Noel smiled. All thoughts of the 'Moriarty Scare', as I had dubbed it, had been driven from my mind at the prospect of exploring London.

"What are you going to do today?" Noel inquired as she finished making her breakfast. I sighed wistfully. She was such a good cook, and I could barely manage toast.

"Look for a Bull Moose-like store," I said, grabbing a bowl and the cereal box. Pouring myself a bowl, I sat down at the table across from my long-time best friend and started eating. "I still have a week left before the school starts up. I'm teaching creative writing there. Soo excited!"

"You've only mentioned it 64 times," Noel reminded me.

I blinked. "You kept track?"

She just rolled her eyes.

After finishing breakfast, I grabbed my wallet and left the flat. Walking towards the centre of London, I peered into different stores but none of them piqued my interest. There was a bookstore that I passed so I popped in to browse the different books. Buying one that I thought that Noel would enjoy, I left again.

After visiting a couple of other shops, I bought myself some french fries, excuse me, _chips._ Sitting down at a table, I ate them, staring off into space.

Someone sat down across from me. "Good morning, Avery," a familiar voice greeted me. My head snapped up instantly, and a shocked gasp left my lips.

Moriarty was sitting across from me, dressed casually. He wore that dark smirk that I remembered from our first meeting, and his eyes were the same; cold and unfeeling. My heart plummeted, and I froze. "Wha-"

"I wanted to congratulate you on your escape in person." Moriarty reached across the table and grabbed one of my fries, popping it in his mouth.

I scowled at him. "First you kidnap me, and now you're stealing my fries?! Not okay!"

"Fries?" he asked, confused. _He's kind of cute when he's confused... Wait no I did not just think that!_ Understanding bloomed in his eyes. "You mean the chips."

"Chips are something entirely different where I come from," I muttered, slouching in my chair.

"Yes. You came from Westbrook, Maine in the United States. You saved up for a couple of years before coming here with your best friend Noel Blackmore. You have a younger brother and a mother, but your father is currently in Afghanistan." He stole another fry - excuse me, chip - smirking.

I sat there. "Holy crap. You're stalking me." It slipped out before I could stop it.

"I call it research," Moriarty disagreed, surprising me when he didn't get angry. He suddenly leaned across the table, his dark eyes boring into mine. "It seems that I have misjudged you, Avery Sirois. I will not make that mistake again."

I gulped. "What?"

He shrugged, leaning back again. "I pegged you for the type to be too scared to try to escape. You weren't even in there five minutes before you escaped." The dark smirk was back. "How does dinner sound?"

I blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"Dinner." He raised an eyebrow. "Where two people go to eat food?"

I abruptly stood up. "No, I'd rather not. Nice to see you again...kind of...sort of...not really. I'd should be going home."

A slow, dark smile spread across his face. "Perhaps I could give you a lift?"

I shook my head immediately. "Nope. Learned my lesson about getting rides from strangers."

Moriarty shrugged modestly. "It was worth a shot."

I collected my bags from underneath my chair and piled them onto my arms. "Bye," I said awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. Instead I awkwardly stuck my hand out for a handshake.

Moriarty stood up and took my offered hand, but instead of shaking it he crushed it in his large hand. I winced in pain. He leaned in closer to me, and whispered, "Do not get too comfortable, Avery Sirois. This is not the last time that you will see me, far from it. I promise you that." He let go of my hand and walked away,

I stood there for a moment, staring after him, before turning around abruptly and heading back to the flat.

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A/N

Ello everyone and welcome back to Chapter 5! This chapter was written by Eva Sirico :)

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

The next chapter should be posted soon.

~Eva Sirico and criminalsandtea~


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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**CHAPTER 6**

**NOEL**

After Avery left I sat at the table, thinking of the fight I had with Sherlock previously. Why did he make me so angry? Was it his offsetting eyes? His smug attitude towards everything? I sighed. _I need to apologize. _First a shower! I energetically go to the bathroom and turn on the shower. I run to my room and grab a towel and some soap. After thinking about it for a while I decide to apologize. I quickly get dressed not worrying about drying my hair off.

I run up the stairs and knock on their door. I take a deep breath getting ready to knock again.

"Come in," Sherlock's voice comes from somewhere in the house. I open the door. A terrible smell seeps into my nose. I try not to gag. Wincing I look around. This reminds me of my old room. Books everywhere, the place a mess. I step over a pile of papers and walk into a sitting room. Sherlock is lying on a couch, wearing a deep purple shirt only half buttoned. I glance away.

"Yes?" He says, opening his eyes to look at me. I stare at him.

"Er- um. Yes, well I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn't have yelled at you, or laughed at your conclusions," I say quietly trying to ignore his piercing stare. He jolts up. Then snickers.

"I knew you would come and apologize. You're so predictable," He chuckles. I stare at him for a few seconds. Turning on my heels I walk out. I am beyond done dealing with this man-child. When I hear his footsteps behind mine I don't turn around.

"Wait you weren't supposed to react that way. You were supposed to yell or throw something at me, like a normal person." He runs in front of me, blocking my door. "Why aren't you reacting?" he shouts at me, his messy curls falling in his face. I let out a sigh. _What is his problem?_

"Look, I need to go take a nap. I was up late talking with Avery," I say through my teeth. I push the thin man away from the door with ease. Gaping at me, he doesn't say anything. I start to close the door.

"I'm guessing you're angry" He says sarcastically. I slam the door shut and storm into my room. I check the time. Only three in the afternoon. I think about calling Avery, then remember she is out having fun. I grab my bag and some money. I need ice cream, and maybe pizza. Yes, pizza.

I run into Avery on the way out the door. She looks flustered.

"I'm going to get groceries. Do you want anything?" I say. She looks like she wants to say something important.

"Some yogurt. Some sweet things, other than that I'm good," She smiles and goes to the flat.

I stride of of the flat and start walking towards London centre. I feel as though someone is watching me, so I peer behind my shoulder. People are walking around, but nobody seems suspicious.

Shivering I continue to walk looking for a grocery store. I still have that feeling that someone is following me, So I decide to stop and a cafe. I order a black coffee and sit down inside. I peer at the window, watching people pass by.

"I didn't peg you as someone who liked black coffee," I jump startled by John's voice. He grinned sheepishly. "Well I'm no Sherlock Holmes," He slides into the booth and awkward starts tapping his fingers against the table.

"Sherlock, ha, you're much smarter than he is," I scoff. He looks at me with wide eyes.

"Believe me, he might be rough around the edges, but the man is brilliant, and a close friend. So mind how you speak about him," He looks out the window. "You know he couldn't shut up about you and Avery last night. Mostly you," He chuckled to himself.

I roll my eyes. He probably was exaggerating. "What does he do anyway," I say taking a sip of the coffee.

"Detective consultant," He says seriously. I roll my eyes again. That explains him trying to figure out my life. I tap the coffee lid. "What do you do?"

"I'm an astronomer. I use to work at an observatory," I say looking out the window. John chuckled.

"Wait till Sherlock hears about this one," he says smirking.

"John would you like to go grocery shopping with me?" I divert the subject, not wanting to think about my idiot neighbor, and how he happens to be a genius.

"Yes, I was actually heading that way when I saw you, Sherlock told me to go out and get milk," He shakes his head. We leave the cafe and head to the store. I get fruits and veggies. I know Avery won't eat the veggies. I also grab some cookies, and two tubs of ice cream. Just in case. I also get a few other things for dinners. I was the one who was the cook in the house, so I made regular trips to the supermarket. After getting everything I needed I went to meet John at the register.

"All set?" I say after paying for the items. He nods his head and helps carry the bags. We walk in silence for a few minutes.

"Go easy on Sherlock, okay?" John says softly, his eyes up towards the setting sun. "He doesn't understand the way people interact." He smiles at me. I'm at a loss for words. Biting my lip I nod slowly.

"Thanks for getting food with me, I hope we can become closer friends," I say to him smiling. He nods and opens the door to his flat. Waving I go into Avery and I's flat.

"Avery I'm home," I notice boxes are filling the hallway. _Yay our things have finally come. _I set down the food in the kitchen and look for the boxes labeled my name.

"Noel, the few boxes that were yours are in your room," I jump back when I realize Avery is behind a bunch of boxes.

Thanking her I stride to my room. A few boxes are lying on my bed. Two bigger ones are on the floor. Avery must have taken out a few things, because my desk and my blankets are thrown on my bed. Opening the boxes reveal books, clothes, and field journals. I stack everything onto my desk. My phone buzzes. I lunge over and check to see who texted me.

It was an unknown name. "_Meet me outside" _the anonymous person texted. A second buzz came from the phone as _"Now!" _popped up on the screen. Flustered, I quickly put on my coat. Without thinking to put on shoes I briskly walk into the hall.

"Avery, I will be right back, just taking a walk," I say as I walk out the door. I leave the building and look around. A buzz comes from my pocket. _I got bored. I'm in the cafe down the street. Hurry!_

I sigh, my curiosity taking over. I sprint over to the cafe and realize how cold my feet are. Once I'm at the door I let myself breathe. I hear someone clear their voice. Whipping my head to the side I see Sherlock taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Took you long enough. Did you get lost?" He sneers, smoke seeping out of his mouth. I shrug.

"Is there anything you need, because I'm cold and still angry at you," I say shifting from foot to foot.

"Why don't you have shoes on?" He says in an amused voice. I shrug again.

"It happens to be I enjoy walking around without shoes on," I say sarcastically. He arches an eyebrow.

"Sarcasm?" He asks seriously. I nod my head. I turn to walk into the cafe. "Wait, lets walk back. I don't want to be responsible for your toes falling off," He chuckled at his own joke. I sigh. Trailing along beside him we make our way back to the flat.

"So a detective consultant? Interesting choice of work," I say trying to spark a conversation. He nods.

"Yes, and you're an...astronomer," He says slowly. I can almost hear the hate in his voice. I laugh. He wouldn't be the first to not like astronomy.

"Haven't you ever looked up in the night sky and just stared, for hours, wondering what could be up there?" I say staring out at the cloudless sky. He stops and looks at me.

"Why would anyone want to waste their time doing something so boring?" He says.

I frown at him. Why was he always such a stick in the mood.

"Challenge accepted," I yell, smiling at the tall man. For the first time I notice his eyes are a icy blue. I stop smiling, looking away.

"Challenge?" He questions. I nod.

"I'm going to show you the stars, and make you realize how amazing they are," I say softly. He chuckles. We walk in silence for a while. When we reach the door he looks at me with a harsh stare.

"We will never be friends. I am nothing more than a mere acquaintance. I warn you. I am a dangerous man, and people around me tend to get hurt. For your sake, please stay away," He says quietly, before walking in the door.

"I never asked to be your friend,"

"You didn't verbally, but I can tell by your body language," He says sadly, then leaves me out in the dark alone. I stand out in the cold for a few minutes then go into the flat.

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A/N

Hooray for another chapter! This chapter was written by criminalsandtea :)

You guys are so amazing. Thanks so much for reading our story! Review? :)

~criminalsandtea and Eva Sirico~


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: We do not own Sherlock**

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Grabbing a can of yogurt from the fridge, I danced through the kitchen, singing to myself as I picked up a clean spoon. "_Let the sky fall / When it crumbles / We will stand tall / And face it all together-"_

A knock on the door startled me. "Coming," I sang, putting my meager breakfast back down on the table and skipping over to the door. Opening it, I saw John standing in front of me. "Hey!"

"Morning, Avery," he said. He shifted on his feet. "Sorry about Sherlock the other night. He's not good with meeting new people."

I was already shrugging it off. "It's seriously fine. I was just a little off that day." I glanced at the bedroom where Noel was sleeping. When she gets upset, she'll sleep in for as long as twelve.

John glanced down at the ground before looking up again. "Do you want to go grab breakfast? As friends," he added quickly.

I beamed at him. "Sure! I'd love to. I think it'll just be the two of us, because Sherlock upset Noel last night. She'll sleep in till the afternoon."

"That's fine," John assured me. "Shall we?"

"We shall." I quickly left a note for Noel before walking out the door with John, making sure I had my phone on me. We walked out of the building, and John guided us to Speedy's right next door.

While our food was being made, John and I made small talk about the weather, my upcoming job, and life in London so far. Halfway through our meal, we had lapsed into a comfortable silence. John suddenly looked up at me. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you on your first day in London? Noel seemed pretty worried."

I froze. "Ermm..." Should I tell him? Or should I not?

"Yes, do tell us, we are dying to know," a deep voice said, and Sherlock appeared next to us. He looked at me. "Your roommate is positively infuriating."

Grasping onto the change of subject, I asked, "What happened last night? She seemed kind of upset when she got home... I mean, she's sleeping in right now."

Sherlock looked confused. "Isn't she the type to normally sleep in on a day like this?"

I laughed. "Are we talking about the same Noel?" A scowl crossed Sherlock's face, and he drew up a chair, sitting at our table.

John looked between the two of us. "The eggs are good this morning," he commented idly, hoping for a change in subject to try to draw his roommate out of his scowl.

"I'm not really an egg person," I admitted, looking down at my pancake.

"No, you have an enormous sweet tooth, probably stemmed from eating healthy for most of your childhood. You have a younger sibling, possibly a brother, who you try to set a good example for, hence the eating healthy. You have a bit of a rebellious nature, hence your dyed hair. You came to London because you long for an adventure; you crave it. I can tell-"

"Okay, okay!" I interrupt. "We get that you're an amazing detective-"

"_Consulting _detective," Sherlock corrected.

"...Yes. Consulting detective." I rolled my eyes and shoved another forkful of the pancake into my mouth, but a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. The breakfast continued, but I started to feel closer to the guys. They were starting to feel like members of my motley family, and it made me smile.

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A/N

Welcome back to the story! This chapter was written by Eva Sirico :)

Thanks to all of our wonderful reviewers! Hope to see you all in Chapter 8!

~Eva Sirico and criminalsandtea~


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